Daylight teams up with Catalyst to power local journalism

Catalyst of San Diego and Imperial Counties has joined us as our fiscal sponsor to speed up our editorial timeline.

Written by Lauren J. Mapp, Edited by Kate Morrissey

Our team at Daylight San Diego is excited to announce we are now officially a fiscally sponsored project of Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties. 

So, what does this fiscal sponsorship mean? Basically, it allows us to operate under Catalyst’s nonprofit status, which means we can immediately accept tax-deductible donations, apply for grants and focus on our mission as we navigate all the legal red tape of forming our own 501(c)(3). 

From the start, Daylight has been all about rethinking local news. We’ve spent months listening to San Diegans to learn what they want more of, what they’re tired of and what’s missing from their media landscape. 

Now, thanks to our new partnership with Catalyst, we’re in a stronger position to make those ideas a reality.

Catalyst — a nonprofit focused on advancing equity and social impact in our region — will handle the behind-the-scenes financial and administrative stuff while we concentrate on delivering top-tier journalism that actually reflects San Diego’s diverse communities.

Launching a nonprofit under a fiscal sponsor to get a jumpstart is a growing trend. According to the Fiscal Sponsor Directory, there are at least 1,000 known organizations sponsoring an estimated 40,000 projects as of 2023.

Although Catalyst will be overseeing our financial resources, it does not mean they will have control over our journalism. Daylight remains editorially independent, and our team will work with our own board of directors to make sure we stay true to our community promises, as written in our mission statement and values.

This partnership gives Daylight the structural support we need as we launch while staying accountable to the people we serve.

“Daylight’s mission to deliver fair, equitable and accurate journalism has immense value to Catalyst’s efforts to equip funders to do their best work,” said Megan Thomas, Catalyst president and CEO. “Stories from diverse neighborhoods will bring our members first-hand insights directly from the communities where they fund, giving them more accurate information and the opportunity to build new relationships that enhance their grantmaking.”

Having Catalyst in our corner opens up more funding opportunities that we might not otherwise have access to as a brand new organization. It also gives us access to an incredible network of changemakers in the region and a chance to collaborate with other mission-driven organizations.

This partnership puts Daylight on the fast track of becoming an independent newsroom, empowering us to deliver impactful stories that truly matter to you. With Catalyst’s support, we can soon start publishing stories San Diegans have told us they want to see more of in local news, amplify underrepresented voices and create meaningful journalism that directly benefits San Diego.

Catalyst is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing philanthropy and social impact in Southern California. Serving as a hub for local philanthropy, Catalyst fosters collaboration between funders, nonprofits and community leaders by providing opportunities for connection like its annual conference and educational opportunities including hosting classes on impact investing. 

By providing resources, networking opportunities and policy advocacy, the organization aims to drive meaningful change and strengthen the local nonprofit ecosystem. 

So, what’s next for Daylight? 

We just held the latest virtual meeting of our listening session series and plan to continue these community talks throughout the year. Recently, our team established a board of community leaders and Daylight co-founders to help steer our newsroom going forward.

Soon, we will start publishing reported stories to help San Diegans stay informed on the topics that you've told us truly matter. Think deep dives on affordable housing, climate change, cultural events and ways to get involved through volunteer opportunities or local activism.

As we build up our organization and funding sources, we plan to branch off as our own nonprofit organization — hopefully within the next couple of years.

This is just the beginning of something big for independent journalism in San Diego, and we are so thankful to all of you supporting us along the journey!

Community highlight 

Last week, the San Diego City Council passed a proclamation honoring Guam History and Chamorro Heritage Day on March 3. 

The day recognized the history of the CHamoru, the Indigenous people of the Mariana Islands, which includes Guam, a U.S. territory. (In 2018, a Guamanian commission dedicated to Indigenous language, history and culture announced that “CHamoru” is the preferred spelling for the language and people).

Dozens of CHamoru attended last week’s City Council meeting, many of whom spoke in support of the proclamation, which President Pro Tem Kent Lee said was the first of its kind for San Diego.

The U.S. Census found that as of 2020, San Diego County had the largest population of CHamoru outside the Mariana Islands with a population of 9,391 people. Within the county, CHamoru make up the second largest, standalone subgroup of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islander communities.

Community members gathered outside of San Diego City Hall after the proclamation, where they sang a blessing led by Rosemary Mantanoña to celebrate.

Mantanoña, a Pipit, Inc. tribal council member, moved to San Diego from Guam in 1995. Four years after arriving, she started Imåhen Taotao Tåno’ — a guma or home teaching traditional CHamoru dance and culture.

She said she hopes the city’s proclamation will help unite the region’s Chamoru people every day of the year, not just on Guam History and Chamorro Heritage Day.

“No matter where we are in this westernized world that we live in, the blood that runs through us is the spirited lives of our ancestors,” Mantanoña said. “Be proud to be CHamoru, whether it's in your culinary arts or it's in another artistic format, be it writing, dancing, chanting, choreographing or other art forms. I just feel like for our people, this is our time to rise.”

Check out our video that captured the moment.

Want to support our effort to bring Daylight to San Diego? 

• Please subscribe to our newsletter so you’re the first to know when we publish content or announce upcoming listening sessions.
• Consider making a tax-deductible donation to our fundraising campaign on Givebutter. Thanks to a generous donor, we have received the first $1,000 toward our goal of raising $50,000 by July 1 to support our journalism.
• We are continuing to accept submissions to our Daylight San Diego Community Survey to help shape upcoming news content.

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